The Arizona sentinel., 1887-06-11

one Tl8llI WuOIo hO MduOOu AOs dhO hO hit grounder to father The veteran stopped down and gathered it in in great shape, while the boys cheered and applauded.
 Now we've got him, Pop! Let her come hotr' screamed Frankie, dancing wild can-can on first.
 But father had his eye on Peter, who was running toward first and with all the accuracy of a crack wing shot he let the ball drlve and caught the un- happy Peter on the small ribs just as he was nearing the base. The general clamor which followed astounded fath- CT.
 "What are you doinge Who are you hitting? What sort of way is that?"
 Mot outr' shouted the umpire's sil- very voice, as Peter sat down on first base and searched the Heavens for his lost breath.
 Not outP What do you mean?" said father. The situation was ex- plained to him, and the nature of the new rule made plain. Father was dis appointed. He wanted to hit some one. That was the way he used to play. But he resigned himself to his fate. The game proceeded, and father soon found himself on first Dase, while the irreverent Johnny was at short. Then the batsman hit to Johnny, and that nimble youth ''scooped in" the ball and hurled it to first. But father had by this time rambled back into the past and was expecting to see Johnny ''peg" the man running to first. The result was that the ball struck father fairly just above the belt and doubled him up like two-foot rule.
 Johnny looked rather white, while the umpire rushed to first base with a great fluttering of white fannels, and kneeling beside her prostrate sire, murmured:
 ''Are you hurt, papa darlingP'
 Father sat up and rubbed his eyes, gasped a few times, and then said:
 ''See here, thought it was against the rules to hit man."
 There was another series of explana- tions and then the game went on. And then some one hit high foul to father He danced merrily out and got well under the ball, and the boys all got ready to yell: good catch. " But it didn't work The ball hit father on the end of his finger, and going right through his hands landed on his nose. Again there was con fusion, and the umpire, just trifie tremulous about the lips, whispered:
 Papa, dear, don play any more, please"
 Not play any more? What do you mean?" said father, bristling up and wiping his face bravely. 'Ihaven't got into my old form yet"
 And soon father was pitcher. Then those cruel boys commenced to whack three-baggers all over the field until their sire was well-nigh worn out with his exertions. Fortunately some one went out on a fly and father limped back to be catcher. They called him catcher, but he did not catch any thing except one foul tip, and he caught shat on the chin.
 ''What makes the ball go so crooked?" he asked, after missing the fourth strike by about foot.
 That's the curve," said Albert.
 What curveP'
 1.-The curve on the ball.
 "Nonsense! The ball can't curve"
 Then there was another pause for half an hour while the theory of curved pitching was explained to father. And when he finally went in to the bat he thought he knew all about it. When his turn came to strike Johnny had come up to pitch, and that willy young ster had more curves and shoots and dodges than he had fingers. So when he pitched an out-curve and father famed the air, he laughed dem oniac laugh. Father smilsd. He saw the curve and prepared to meet it on the next ball. But the villainous Johnny pitched an in-shoot, and when father reached for the expected out-curve he got whack on the left wrist that made him drop the bat with an exclamation that quite shocked the umpire.
 Give father an easy One," pleaded the umpire; don't be so mean"
 Come off," said the irreverent Johnny, sending in a rising out-curve.e on which father quite threw himself away.
 But the veteran was full of courage. and there was an exultant feminine shriek as he hammered the next ball for base hit between short and sec ond.
 Run, papa runr' screamed the umpire, clapping her hands; you're not half going!'
 But father made his first and smiled a smile of benign triu mph on the as sembly.
 Now, father" said Albert, ''take plenty of ground and go to secoOd as soon as he pitches; George can't throw straight to second"
 Take ground? what groundP"
 "Time," called Albert; and he ex- plain ed his meaning to father.
 The veteran got to second and stood there putting, but happy. Then the batsman hit to the third baseman, who half stopped the ball, allowing it to roll behind him. He rushed after it, while Johnny ran from the box to third. yelling: